Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy, #1)

by Ken Follett

What they really want is a bourgeois revolution that gives them freedom to promote industry and commerce. But the people want bread, peace, and land: bread for the factory workers, peace for the soldiers, and land for the peasants.

A baby was like a revolution, Grigori thought: you could start one, but you could not control how it would turn out.

“You can’t put your opponents in jail and still pretend to believe in freedom.”

“The ability to listen to smart people who disagree with you is a rare talent—but a president should have it.